ATLANTA (AP) — Mark Richt's first words to his Georgia players about Alabama came with a warning:
Beware the hype.
In the first meeting between the teams since the 2012 Southeastern Conference championship game, No. 8 Georgia will play No. 13 Alabama on Saturday.
Georgia hasn't returned to the SEC championship game since the 32-28 loss in 2012. The Bulldogs, who haven't won a SEC title since 2005, can prove Saturday they are a championship contender — but that's just the sort of big-picture talk that Richt wants to avoid.
Following a 48-6 victory over Southern on Saturday, Richt told his players to keep their focus on the one game and the work they must accomplish this week in practice and in classes.